Sealing device



April 6, 1943.

w. c. CHILDRESS 2,315,596

SEALING DEVICE Filed Feb 27, 1940 2 Sheet-Sheet l.

April 1943- w. c. CHILDRESS 2,315,596

SEALING DEVICE Filed Feb. 27, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 6,1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SEALING DEVICE William C. Childress,Oak Park, Ill., assignor to Acme Steel Company, Chicago, 111., acorporation of Illinois Application February 27, 1940, Serial No.321,094

(Cl. S l-9.1)

3 Claims.

.dated September 25, 1934. The purpose of the present inventionistoprovide an improved hand operatedsealing device of the tong typedisclosed in said prior-patents which is adapted for use in applying anopen-metal seal, preferably of channel form,-.to the overlapped ends ofa strap which has been drawn taut about a box or package, or a group ofsuch packages, preliminary to applying the seal thereto, the sealingdevice being formed to bend the side walls of the seal about the strapendsand-then to deform the seal and theenclosed strap ends to provide aninterlocking joint.

Theprincipal object of thepresent invention is to provide animprovedsealing device comprising relatively movablebendingdies andcooperating. cutting dies incombination with lever operated means foractuating the bending dies to bend a sealaboutoverlapping strap ends andto cause portions of the seal and strap ends to be sheared and bent bythe dies, and means for causing the seal and the enclosed strap ends tobe thereafterejeeted from'their position in the sealing device -by areverse movement of the operating levers. .-A 'further object of theinvention isto provide animproved sealing device comprising oppositerelatively movable bending jaws adapted to cooperate with a novel formof cutting die-mounted in proximity thereto and adapted to shearportions of the seal and the enclosed strap ends which are bent aboutthe strap-ends. Another object of the invention is to provide animproved sealing-device of the tong type comprising a pairof opposedbending jaws of laminated form mountedbetween side plates and :adaptedto-be actuated lay-relatively movable levers,-the laminations of thejaws being arranged to receive between them cutting or shearing dieswhich are mounted in fixed positions with'respect to the side plates andwhich areadapted to cooperate with the bending jaws 'for shearing thelateral edges of the seal and the enclosed strap ends to provide aninterlocking end joint. Stillanother object of the invention is toprovide an improved sealing device comprising relatively movable bendingjaws adapted to embrace a seal and overlapping strap ends and tocooperate with cutting dies for shearing and bending portions of theseal and the strapends, the bending dies having mounted between them asupporting plate or saddle which is adapted to rest upon the seal duringthe sealing operation of the device and which is adapted to be actuatedby the bending dies or jaws upon relative separation of their sealengaging portions for moving the completed joint positively out ofengagement with the cutting and bending dies. Other objects relate tovarious features of construction and arrangement which will appear morefully hereinafter.

The nature of the invention will be understood from the followingspecification taken with the accompanying drawings in which oneembodiment is illustrated. In the drawings,

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the improved sealing device with thejaws spread apart to receive between them the overlapping strap ends andthe seal which is to be applied thereto, portions of the operatinglevers of the device being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one type of joint adapted to be formedby the sealing device of the present invention;

Fig. 3 showsan enlarged sectional View taken on the line 3-3 of Fig.2;

Fig. 4 showsan enlarged vertical section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1;

.Fig. 5 shows a vertical section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4,illustrating by dotted lines the position of the seal before .its sidewalls have been bent about the overlapping strap ends and showing thebending dies or jaws after they have been separated following thecompletion of the joint by relative movement of the operating leversaway from each other;

Fig. 6 shows a bottom plan View of the sealing device asit isillustrated inFigs. 1 and 5, with the seal and the overlapping strapends removed;

Fig. '7 is a sectional View similar to that of Fig. 5, showing therelativepositionsof the ,parts -of the sealing device when the jaws andthe operating levers have been fully closed upon each other in theformation of the joint;

Fig. 8 shows an edge elevation of the sealing device looking toward theleft as viewed in Fig. '7;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view-taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing a side plate, one of eachoi thetwo forms of bending dies or jaws, a cutting die, and the supportingplate or saddle which are embodied in the sealing device shown in Figs.1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.

In the accompanying drawings, the invention is illustrated in connectionwith a metal seal l5 of channel form which comprises a back wall 15a andlongitudinal side walls 151) which are preferably arranged to convergeslightly toward each other from the edges of the wall 65a, as shown inFig. 1, and by dotted lines in Fig. 5, so that, when the seal is placedupon the overlapping ends l6a, of a metal strap IE, it is not likely tobe accidentally removed from its position on the strap ends during theapplication of the sealing device thereto. After being placed over theoverlapping straps ends, with the back wall I50. of the seal restingupon the uppermost strap end, the side walls |5b are adapted to be bentinwardly under the lowermost strap ends into parallel relationship withthe back wall ifia and the sealing device then shears the lateral edgeof the seal and the enclosed strap ends along transverse lines l1, shownin Figs. 2 and 3,

these shearing cuts being preferably located in pairs at opposite edgesof the seal, and the metal between the cuts of each pair is deflecteddownwardly by the bending dies to form lugs IS, the edges of which abutagainst edges of and endwise movement of the overlapping strap ends andthe enclosing seal. The joint which is described'is of the typedisclosed in the United States patent to Ralph H. Norton, No. 1,260,016.dated March 19, 1918, but it will be understood that other types ofjoints may be formed with the use of the sealing device of the presentinvention.

The sealing device, designated generally by the numeral 20, comprises apair of side plates 2| which are roughly rectangular in shape exceptthat they terminate at their upper ends in tapered portions Zia. Theseside plates are provided along their lower edges with rectangularnotches 2|?) to permit the device to be placed over a seal andoverlapping strap ends, as shown in Fig. 1, and they receive betweenthem a pair of jaws, made up of a plurality of bending dies orlaminations 22, and a plurality of cutting or shearing dies 23, as wellas the above mentioned supporting plate or saddle-24, the bending diesor jaws being capable of being operated by a pair of relatively movablelevers 25 provided at their outer ends with handles in the form ofspherical balls 2511. In the operation of the device the handles 25 arespread apart as shown in Fig. l and the device is then lowered inposition over a seal which has previously been placed upon theoverlapping strap ends, which then extend between the jaws through thenotches 2 lb in the side plates, these ends being preferablyheld inoverlapping relationship by a strap stretching device which haspreviously been used for. drawing the strap taut around a box or packageto be bound thereby. When the sealing .device is in the position shownin Fig. l, the

'dies 23 'are held in assembled relationship to each other and to theside plates 2! by means of a pair of pins 26 which are formed inaligning apertures in the bending dies 22 of the opposite groups of jawsand in opposite end portions of the cutting dies 23 as well as in theside plates 2!. Each pin 26 is provided with an enlarged head 26a at oneend and with a radially extending notch 2% at the other end, the partsbeing so proportioned that when the pin 26 is fully inserted, as shownin Fig. 4, the notch 2th will lie closely adjacent to the outer face ofthe plate 2| at the side of the device opposite the head of the pin. Thenotches 26b in the pins 26 are adapted to be engaged by a thin lockingplate 2'! having an aperture formed therein which is engaged by thereduced threaded extremity of a, bolt or pin 28 arranged to extendthrough registering apertures in the middle portions of the side plates2|, as shown particularly in Figs. 4 and 5. This bolt is provided withan enlarged head 28a adapted to seat against one of the side plates 2|and with a threaded extremity 28b at its other end adapted .to' beengaged by a nut 29 which seats against the locking plate 21. In thisway the bending dies 22 of each jaw are mounted for pivotal movementabout the pins 26 and the cutting dies 23 areheld in fixed relationshipto the pins 2t and the side plates 2|.

The bending dies of each jaw are held in fixed relationship to eachother and the two jaws are actuated for pivotal movement about the pins26 by the levers 25 which are provided at their adjacent ends withenlarged portions 2%. The enlarged portion of one lever is provided onits outer side with an outwardly extending ear 25c adapted to extendbetween two outwardly exand arranged to extend vertically at rightangles to the plane of the overlapping strap ends. The pin 3i! occupiesa position between the side plates 2! in all relative positions of theoperating levers 25. The enlarged'portion 25b of each lever 25 is alsoprovided with two inwardly extending ears 25c which are spaced apart andarranged to extend between two adjacent bending dies of one of thebending jaws, there being three bending dies or laminations in each jaw,as will be apparent from an examination of Figs. 4, 6 and 8. These ears25a and the intermeshing upper ends of the bending dies 22 are providedwith registering apertures which are closely fitted by cylindrical pins3 I These pins are of such length that their flat end faces lie in closeproximity to the inner faces of the side plates 21 in all relativepositions of the levers 25 so that they are thus retained in position,establishing pivotal connections between the levers 25 and the bendingdies of one of the jaws.

The bending dies of each jaw arc of two forms, 22a and 221), shownparticularly in Fig. 10, and each jaw comprises two of the dies orlaminations 22a and one of the dies or laminations 22b. Each form ofbending die comprises a terminal hook or jaw 22c adapted to engage theouter surface of one of the side walls l5b of the seal, when the jawsare closed upon each other, for the purpose of bending these side wallsinwardly and upwardly beneath the lowermost strap end and for thepurpose of forcingthe seal and the enclosed strap end'upwardly intooperative engagement with the cutting dies 23 which are more fullydescribed hereinafter and which are positioned alternately with respectto the bending dies, there being one cutting die on each side of eachbending die 221). During the operation of bending the side walls of theseal and forming the joint a lateral edge portion of the seal is adaptedto be received in the recess 2201 which is formed on the upper side ofeach of the hooks or jaws 220. The intermediate bending dies 2% diiierfrom the outer dies 22a in that they are provided opposite the pins 3|with-projections 22c which engage each other, as shown in Fig. 5, forthe purpose of limiting the relative separation of the jaws and of thelevers 25. The intermediate bending dies 22b also differ from the outerbending dies 22a in that they are provided opposite the pins 26 withinwardly extending rounded projections 22) which. are adapted to have aloose rocking engagement with curved recesses Zeb which are formed inthe opposite sides of the supporting plate or saddle 24, as shownparticularly in Figs. 5 and 10. This supporting plate is provided with afiat lower face 2 3a adapted to rest upon the upper back wall 55a of theseal, and the upper part of the plate or saddle 24 is provided with avertically extending U-shaped notch 24c adapted to engage the bolt orpin 28 by which the side plates 2! secured together. It will be apparentthat upon relative movement of the two bending jaws about their pivotpins 26, the supporting plate 2e will have a vertical movement duringwhich it is guided by the bolt or pin 28.

The cutting dies 23 are of the form shown particularly in Figs. 5, '7and 10, each consisting of an oblong plate positioned below the bolt orpin 23 and terminating at its ends in rounded surfaces which areconcentric with the pins 25 and substantially flush with the outercurved portions of the bending dies 22a and 22b. Each cutting die 23 isrecessed on its underside as shown at 23a to provide a fiat intermediatesurface 235 which is united at the ends with inclined surfaces 23c, thesurfaces 230 terminating at their margins in sharp cutting edges adaptedto cooperate with the bending dies in eilecting the shearing of thelateral edges of the seal and the enclosed strap ends in the mannershown at l? in Figs. 2 and 3. The surface 23b of each cutting die has alength which is less than the width of the back wall l5a of the seal sothat the inclined cutting portions 230 are spaced apart in apredetermined manner in order to effect a predetermined cutting of theseal and the enclosed strap ends at each edge of the joint. The flatsurfaces 23?) of the cutting dies are so positioned that they lieslightly below the top margins of the notches Zlb which are formed inthe side plates 2i, as shown in Fig. 9, and the inclined cuttingportions 230 of the cutting dies intersect the marginal portions ofthese notches Zib so that the cutting operation is not interfered withby the side plates.

When the levers 25 are spread apart and the jaws are open, thesupporting plate or saddle 24 is projected downwardly by the bendingdies 22b, as shown in Fig. 5, so that its lower face 2 1a liessubstantially below the plane of the upper margins of the notches Zlbwhich are formed in the side plates, and at the same time the terminalhooks or jaws 220 of the bending dies are spread apart and project belowthe lower edges of the plates 2|, thus permitting the sealing device tobeapplied readily to a seal [5 which has been placed upon theoverlapping strap ends as'shown by full lines in Fig. 1 and by dottedlines in Fig. 5'; The extent of this separation of the jaws and of thelevers is limited by the contacting lugs 22c of the bending dies 2%, asmentioned above. The levers 25 are then closed upon each other andduring this operation the die plates 22a and 22b of the jaws are closedupon each other, which causes the extremities 22c of the jaws to engagethe sidewalls lEb of the seal to bend them up \vardly' and inwardlybeneath the overlapping strap ends while at the same time causing theelevation of the supporting plate or saddle 24 by theengagementtherewith of the projections 22f'onthe intermediate die plates. As thismotion continues, the supporting plate 24 is lifted to aposition'wherethe upper edge portions of theseal are brought into engagement with theinclined cutting portions of the die plates 23 and, upon furtherrelative closing movement of the levers 25, the extremities 22c of thebending dies force the marginal portions of the seal further against theinclined cutting portions of the cutting dies23, during the continuedupward movement of the supporting plate 24, with the resultthat themarginal portions of the seal and the enclosed strap-ends are bent anddeflected in'the manner shown in Figs. 2 and 3. When this operation iscompleted, the parts have the relative positions shown in Fig. 7 wherethe relative inward movement of the levers 25 is shown as being limitedby pins 32 which are fixed therein adjacent the enlarged portions 25band arranged to contact with each other on their ends.

When a joint has been formed by the operations described in thepreceding paragraph, the cutting dies 23 penetrate the recesses in thejoint formed by cutting and deflecting the portions I8 of the metal, andthe frictional engagement of the parts of the sealing device with thejoint would tend to interfere with the free removal of the sealingdevice from the joint, were it not for the action of the supportingplate or saddle 24, which, upon relative separation of the operatinglevers 25, pushes downwardly upon the back wall of the seal l5 and thuspositively ejects the seal from its position between the jaws, as shownby full lines in Fig. 5. The sealing device is thus capable of beingquickly operated to complete a succession of joints in overlapping strapends without delay occasioned by difiiculty in removing the device fromthe completed joint.

Although one form of the invention has been shown and described by wayof illustration, it will be understood that it may be constructed invarious other embodiments without departing from the scope of theappended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination in a sealing device for overlapping strap ends of apair of side plates, a pair of jaws pivotally mounted between said sideplates for movement toward and from each other, said jaws being adaptedto receive between them an open seal embracing overlapping strap ends, acutting die mounted in fixed position with respect to said side plates,a supporting member mounted between said jaws for engaging the back wallof the seal. said supporting member having connections with said jawswhereby a reciprocatory movement is imparted thereto by a relativemovement of said jaws, and means for actuating said jaws to bend saidseal about said strap ends and to force said seal and the enclosed strapends against said cutting die, said supporting member being mounted torecede beyond the cutting edges of said cutting die during said movementof the seal and the enclosed strap ends, said supporting member beingarranged upon separation of said jaws to move the seal and the enclosedstrap ends away from said cutting die.

2. The combination in a sealing device for overlapping strap ends of apair of side plates, a pair of jaws pivotally mounted between said sideplates for movement toward and from each other, said jaws being adaptedto receive between them an open seal embracing overlapping strap ends, acutting die mounted in fixed position with respect to said side plates,a supporting member mounted between said jaws for engaging the back wallof the seal, said supporting member having connections with said jawswhereby a reciprocatory movement is imparted thereto by a relativemovement of said jaws, means for actuating said jaws to bend said sealabout said strap ends and to force said seal and the enclosed strap endsagainst said cutting die, said supporting member being mounted to recedebeyond the cutting edges of said cutting die during said movement of theseal and the enclosed strap ends, said supporting member being arrangedupon separation of said jaws to move the seal and the enclosed strapends away from said cutting die, and means carried by said side platesfor guiding said supporting member in its movements.

3. The combination in a sealing apparatus for overlapping strap ends, ofa pair of side plates, a pair of laminated bending jaws pivotallymounted between said side plates and adapted to receive between them anopen seal and overlapping strap ends, a cutting die mounted on thepivots of said jaws between said laminations and having inclined cuttingportions spaced apart a distance less than the width of the seal, asupporting member mounted between and carried by said jaws and having asurface adapted to engage the back wall of the seal and position theseal and the enclosed strap ends out of engagement with said cuttingportions of said die when saidjaws are separated, and means foreffecting a closing movement of said jaws to bend said seal about saidstrap ends and then force said seal and the enclosed strap ends againstsaid cutting portions of said die while at the same time retracting saidsupporting member, said last named means being adapted upon reverseoperation to open said jaws and cause said supporting member to move thesealed joint away from said cutting die.

WILLIAM C. CHILDRESS.

